Students drink only rainwater<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
The death of a student at Ummul Quro Al Islami Boarding School in
\nBanyusuci kampong, Leuwiliang, Bogor, from severe diarrhea last
\nSunday revealed a shocking fact: The students and staff at the
\nschool have been consuming only rain water for the last two
\nyears.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know why the piped water stopped running two years
\nago ... we always paid the Rp 90,000 (US$9) monthly bill until
\nnow.<\/p>\n
\"We have no other choice but to consume rain water because our
\nwell has also been dry for sometime,\" the boarding school chief
\nHelmy Abdul Mubin told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
A total of 1,800 students, 77 teachers, 18 cooks and dozens of
\nother school staff have to reserve distilled rain water for their
\ndaily consumption.<\/p>\n
\"We have to provide thousands liters of water ... 5,000 liters
\njust to cook rice every day,\" Helmy said.<\/p>\n
However, rain doesn't fall every day in this often-rainy city.
\nDuring those days, students have to walk to the spring in Karacak
\nvillage, five kilometers from the boarding school. In one day,
\nthey can bring back some 4,000 liters of water.<\/p>\n
The lack of clean water is somewhat of an irony considering
\nthat the name of the kampong literally means holy water.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that the lack of clean water here made us sick,\"
\nHelmy said.<\/p>\n
Over one hundred of students of the boarding school suddenly
\nfell sick on Saturday night. They complained of severe stomach
\nache.<\/p>\n
Aris Tadjudin died on Sunday, while around 20 other students
\nwere treated in several hospitals and the remainder in the
\nboarding school.<\/p>\n
The Bogor Health Agency and the police are still investigating
\nthe cause of the diarrhea which was also suffered by residents in
\nthe vicinity of the boarding school.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, spokesman from Bogor water company PDAM Tirta
\nKahuripan, Sutisna, said that the company had to check why the
\nboarding school was not getting a clean water supply.<\/p>\n
\"We have never received any reports from our branch in
\nLeuwiliang about this ... we will soon send someone to check,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-drink-only-rainwater-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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